James cabb



Aug'. 25, 1925. i

CARR PRINTING MACHINE Filed'Aug. 8. 1924' 1' E/v'roR I I v M 'i ./77'7'0/vgys Patented Aug. 25', 1925'.

lUNITED STA TES .lf-Mm: emes.;

JAMES CARR, 'on sYnAcU-sn, :mwV Yonx.

` PRINTING Macnnm.

Application ledV August 8, 1924. Serial No.V 730,848.

other articles which it ymay be desired to f label with theA name andaddress offthe owner for identification.- c

These tags are usuallymade of non-corrodible sheet metal, andthe namesand Vadn dresses of the owner are usually printed thereon with steeldies for permanency of impression, and the main object ofythis'invention is to provide a simple, compact and v eiicient machinefor` expeditiously printing' the various letters and number of thenameand address of the owner in uniformlyy spaced relation and-in one ormore lines upon the tag. a

Another object is toprovide means for automatically shifting the taglongitudinally .along each line for proper spacing lof the letters andnumbers. v Y 7 Y Y,

A Jfurther object is to provide means for adjusting the tagholdertransversely relatively to the die-operating member for printingin parallel spaced lines upon thetag.`

Other objects and uses relating to speciiic parts of the machineV willbe brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view .of one construction ofmachine 4for carrying out the object stated. n f .Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view of the samemachine 45 taken on line 2 2, Figure 1,A except that lz theupper'portion of the plunger is broken;v

away.

Figure?) isa perspective view of a'tag to". be printed. '1' j 1 Y 50Figure 4 Vis ahorizontalvsectional. vier?. taken in the plane of line 44, 4Figure2 Figure 5 is a detailvertical sectional .vier

taken in the planeof line 5445,A Figure 4.

As illustrated, this machine'comprises'i I and, guiding the base ,--l-`having a central upright post 55 2J-,' the upper portion of which-formsa 'tubular guide Vfor a verticallymovable plunger -3- having atV itsupper end, a handle -4- by which yit maybe depressed by hand against theaction of a retracting spring -5-. A

The base -lf is substantially flat and adapted to restr upon a bench orother suit-k able support for holding the machine in an uprightpositionand is disposed in a plane at right, angles to the axis of theguide tube 2- and vplunger" 3, said base being provided along its frontedge with an upstanding guideV flangeQ- yextending i `longitudinally inastraight line some distance 1n front of the produced axis of theplunger 3 for engaging the front edge of a horizontally movable carriage7- e same in ;its vlongitudinal movement.

The ybase -lyis also` providedV with a Vpair offraisedr hollow bosses-8- at the rear of the carriage -7K-or receiving. a pair of yieldingfriction members -9-"and a pair of coil springs ,-fl0, which serve to 30press the friction members .-.Q-,fagainst the rear edge .of thecarriagefor holding the front edge of theffcarriage in .frictional engagement with the'filange -'6- and thereby permitting free/longitudinalmovement of said carriage andy at thejsamertime preventingexcessivemovement thereof by its operating means presently described.

`A tag-holder -lle is movable transverselyv of and upon the carriage #7+at 90 right angles to the plane of movement thereof orreceiving and"supporting a tag as -A-, vFigure 3, andY or'this purpose is -providedronits underside withV a transverse rib -12-vmovable in a corresponding 95groove --`-l3-'4 in the upper'face v'of the carria'geH-T-k vand, isalso' provided ion its undersidel with a' downwardly projecting. pin-14- adapted'to enteranyone of a plurality of,in this instance, threetransfversely alinedapertures 15e-.which are arranged in transverselyspaced relation cor-l responding to the three `printing spaces --a-V inthe blanktag, as shown in Figure 3.

j Thisl transverse adjustmentv of the tag holder for line` spacing of'the printing is accomplished by lifting theholder to dis- Hngwg., itspin ,-:14-1 lfromH one aperture and then moving it transversely toregister the pin withanother aperture and afterwird` lowering the plateto cause theppin to enter the registering aperture for assisting theguide, this operation being effected by hand, while the rib '-121- intheeguide groove 153- serves to keep the holder in proper transversealinement relatively to the carriage.

Suitable means is also provided for clamping and releasing the tag uponand 'romtheholder, and for this purpose, the rear edge'of the plate isprovided with a raised' liange 1 6- having an end stop ,17, said platel1- being also provided with an upright post or bearing -18- upon whichis mounted, a rotary eccentric -19- adapted to engagjein an apertureinthe adjacent portion of a clampingplate +20-, Figure '5.

This clamping platerests upon. the upper face of the plate -11- in frontof the flange -16- and stop -l?- leaving sutilcient space when theclampingy plate is withdrawn by the proper rotation o'lf the eccentric-l9 to permit the tag -A- to be inserted insaid sp'acelengthwise ot-thecarriage and latwise upon the upper fac@J ot the plate'between theiiange "-16- and rearedge or" the clamping member 2O so that when thetagV is properly placed for printing,-itmay be clamped in position bythe rotary' adjustment of the eccentric -l9-, which in turn, tightlyimpinges the tag between the rear edge of the clamping plate 2.0- andii'ange -17-, the eccentric -l9- being provided with aknurled han dle bywhich it may be rotated byv hand and at the willof the operator.

The plate -llis also provided with a pair of lugs -21- rising therefromat opposite sides of the clamping plate 20- for holding the latteragainst lateral movement while permitting it to be moved forwardly andrearwardly.

It will now be understood that the carriage` -7-, plate -11 and clampingmember -20- are movable in parallel planes at right angles to the axisof the plunger and that when the tag is properly clamper in place forprinting, it will also be disposedin a horizontal plane at right anglesto said axis.

Tie Ameans `i'or setting the carriage J7- andparts carried therebytransversely of the airis vof the plunger for letterV andnumber spacingconsists,l in this instance, of a toothed raak-22- 'rigidly securedtothe` upper faceo'f the carriageV near the rear ontlie 'lower end of arock armor lever -24.- which is pivotedl intermediate its ends at M25-to the uprightpost --2'- and has its upper end provided with a pivoted astud or shoulder 2,7m on said post as shown in Figure 2.

The pawl -23- is pivoted at 28- to the lower end of the lever 24hW andis yieldingly held in engagement with the teeth of the rack -22- bymeans of a spring -29-, said pawl being also provided with a handle -30by which it may be tripped at will when it is desired to set thecarriage at any particular point relatively to the printing die as shownby dotted lines in Figure 2.

A spring -31- is interposed between the lower portion. ont the lever 24-and adjacent side of the post -2- between the pivots 25M and 28 lorretracting the lower end of' the lever and pawl carried thereby aftereach downward movement of the plunger which operates the lever to 'feedthe carriage in'this instance, from the right to theleft hand of Figure2, one tooth space at a time. Y

The abutment 2Gh is pivoted at -33 to the upper end of the lever 2%. topermit its inner end to swing downwardly independently of the lever bythe engagement of the pin -27- therewith when the plunger is depressed,but is extended outwardly some distance beyond its pivot tor engagementwith a pin 34- on said lever` to limit the upward movement et itsV innerend and thereby to cause the pin 27- to move the upper end or" the leveroutwardly and its lower end inwardly for feeding the carriagev one toothspace at each upward movement of the plunger after the latter hasoperated the die -B- to malre the desired impression upon the tag -A.-.

A spring 55-V is connectel to the inner endpot the member -26- foryieldingly the pin 3a- The stud -2- preferably consistsof a screwengaging in the 'threads 27ein the plunger -3- to permit it to beadjusted for regulating the movement of the lever 24- andl therebyregulating the amount of movement oi the pawl 23H and carriage 3?-following each printing opera tion.

The type bars -B-- are placed by hand' in an upright position against apair of shoulders .-36-V with their lower ends restingupon the uppersurface of the tag to be printed, said shoulder being rigidly'secured in*vertically spaced relation to the plate 3'7- which in turn issecured'to the post f2- just above the work holder -l'lr-.

The plate -37- and shoulders -36- form respectively, a back rest and aside rest and constitute a guide for the type bar by when depressed forproducing the printing impression on the tag.

Operation.' l

The blank tags -A- are placed upo the holder -llagainst the shoulders-16- and -17- and clamped in place by the clamping plate -20- and if theimpressions are to be made'in the first line space, the holder -11- isadjusted with its pin 14.- in the outermost aperture -l5- and thecarriage -7- is moved to the right to the proper position to print thefirst letter of number at the left hand end of the first printing spaceon the tag.

Each type bar bearing the letter, number or other character to beimpressed upon the tag is placed by hand against the shoulders -36 withits lower printing end resting upon the tag whereupon the plunger -3- isdepressed by hand to engage the upper end of the die and to force itsprinting face against the underlying tag with sufficient force to makeits impression therein.

During this downward movementvof the plunger, the inner' end of theabutmentl 26- will be depressed against the action of its retractingspring -35- by the stud r-27-, which by the downward movement of theplunger, is moved below the member -26- without disturbing the positionof the lever E24- but upon the return upward movement of said plunger bythe spring -5-, the engagement of the stud eration by placing anothertype bar in op-y erative position against the shoulders -36-, theseoperations being repeated along the line of the tag operated upon.

If it is desired to. print in the next line space, the work holder -11is shifted inwardly toward the axisv lof the plunger from one aperture-15- to the next adjacent aperture whereupon the successive printingoperations may be performed upon the corresponding line of the tagandwhen this work is completed, the holder may be again shifted to the nextaperture 15 to print upon the third line in the manner previouslydescribed. l Y When the printing operations are completed as forexample, the name in one line, the street and number or town in the nextline, and the state in the third line, the yplate may be withdrawn byhand by simply releasing-the clamping plate -20-.

I claim:

1. Ina machine for printing videntification tags and the like, a mainsupporting base, a carriage slidable horizontally upon the base forletter spacing, a .work-support mounted on the carriage tomove'therewith and having an independent adjustmenty transverselythereof for line spacing, a type bar guide in fixed r'elation to thecarriage, a removable type bar insertible by hand to rest againsttheguide with its printingface adjacent the work on the, support, meansforV operating the type bar to make its impression upon the work, andmeans for sliding the carriage step by step lengthwise of andupon thebase. Y

2. In a machine of the character ldescribed, a main supporting base, acarriage slidable horizontally upon the base, a work support mounted onthe carriage to move therewith and having an independent adf justmenttransversely thereof for line spaeing, a type bar rest in fixed relationto the carriage, a type bar adapted to be placed by hand against therest with its printing face adjacent the work on the support, a

plunger for operating the type bar, means yfor retracting the plunger,and means actuated by the retraction of the plunger for feeding thecarriage longitudinally for character spacing. i i

vIn witness whereof I have hereunto set my .hand this 26th day of July,1924.

JAMES CARR.

